Altona vs Williamstown

Williamstown is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 50 in Altona. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Altona, about half of households are people living alone. In Williamstown, most households are couple families. On these figures, Altona tends to suit people living alone.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Williamstown

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)
  • is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 53%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Williamstown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 27%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Williamstown

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $350/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Williamstown

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (32/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (51.5 km vs 70.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Williamstown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (32/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Williamstown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.2% vs -13.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Altona and Williamstown drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Altona Williamstown
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Altona Williamstown
Walkability 0 / 32
Altona — Walkability: 0/100 Williamstown — Walkability: 32/100
Safety 62 / 71
Altona — Safety: 62/100 Williamstown — Safety: 71/100
Low fire risk 100 / 58
Altona — Low fire risk: 100/100 Williamstown — Low fire risk: 58/100

Demographics

Williamstown has more residents (2,981 vs 114); Williamstown has higher household incomes ($92,664 vs $76,336).

Altona Williamstown
Population 114 2,981
+2515% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -13.0% +8.2%
Median age 50 42
Median household income $76,336/yr $92,664/yr
+21% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+14% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Altona Williamstown
0-4 5.3% / 5.1%
Altona — 0-4: 5.3% Williamstown — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 14.9% / 14.9%
Altona — 5-14: 14.9% Williamstown — 5-14: 14.9%
15-19 5.3% / 6.2%
Altona — 15-19: 5.3% Williamstown — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 2.6% / 5.1%
Altona — 20-24: 2.6% Williamstown — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 6.1% / 10.3%
Altona — 25-34: 6.1% Williamstown — 25-34: 10.3%
35-44 10.5% / 12.0%
Altona — 35-44: 10.5% Williamstown — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 16.7% / 15.2%
Altona — 45-54: 16.7% Williamstown — 45-54: 15.2%
55-64 16.7% / 14.8%
Altona — 55-64: 16.7% Williamstown — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 17.5% / 10.6%
Altona — 65-74: 17.5% Williamstown — 65-74: 10.6%
75-84 — / 4.0%
Altona — 75-84: not among its largest Williamstown — 75-84: 4.0%
85+ — / 2.1%
Altona — 85+: not among its largest Williamstown — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Altona 53.1% couple families
Altona — Couple Families: 53.1% Altona — Lone Person: 46.9% Altona — One Parent Families: 0.0% Altona — Group Household: 0.0% Altona — Other Families: 0.0%
Williamstown 55.2% couple families
Williamstown — Couple Families: 55.2% Williamstown — Lone Person: 28.6% Williamstown — One Parent Families: 14.0% Williamstown — Group Household: 1.4% Williamstown — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Altona 0.0% renting
Altona — Owned Outright: 61.9% Altona — Mortgage: 38.1% Altona — Renting: 0.0%
Williamstown 11.4% renting
Williamstown — Owned Outright: 33.4% Williamstown — Mortgage: 55.2% Williamstown — Renting: 11.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Altona Williamstown
England 10.5% / 9.3%
Altona — England: 10.5% Williamstown — England: 9.3%
Scotland — / 1.2%
Altona — Scotland: not among its largest Williamstown — Scotland: 1.2%
Germany — / 0.8%
Altona — Germany: not among its largest Williamstown — Germany: 0.8%
New Zealand — / 0.7%
Altona — New Zealand: not among its largest Williamstown — New Zealand: 0.7%
South Africa — / 0.4%
Altona — South Africa: not among its largest Williamstown — South Africa: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.5%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Altona Williamstown
Certificate III & IV 25.4% / 20.2%
Altona — Certificate III & IV: 25.4% Williamstown — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 7.7%
Altona — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Williamstown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Bachelor Degree 2.6% / 9.2%
Altona — Bachelor Degree: 2.6% Williamstown — Bachelor Degree: 9.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 7.9% / 1.9%
Altona — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 7.9% Williamstown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 1.5%
Altona — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Williamstown — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Altona 100.0% houses
Altona — Houses: 100.0% Altona — Townhouses: 0.0%
Williamstown 99.2% houses
Williamstown — Houses: 99.2% Williamstown — Townhouses: 0.9%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Altona Williamstown
Median house price — $880,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $765,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 21 days
from 23 sales

Zoning mix

Altona Williamstown
Rural and farming 92% 93%
Parks and recreation 8% 0%
Environmental 0% 5%
Residential 0% 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Altona Williamstown
New dwellings approved 180
across Barossa
same for both
Approvals change year on year -48%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Altona Williamstown
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 51% of SA Higher than 71% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 18% of SA Higher than 76% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 53% of SA Higher than 54% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of SA Higher than 76% of SA

Liveability

Williamstown is more walkable (32 vs 0).

Altona Williamstown
Grade — C
Score — 49/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Williamstown carries more bushfire risk (42 vs 0).

Altona Williamstown
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
42/100
Crime Low
38/100
 Low
29/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Altona Williamstown
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Altona

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Williamstown

  • Williamstown Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Altona Williamstown
Parks & reserves 2 5
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 1 17

Mobility

Altona sits further from the CBD (70.7 km vs 51.5 km).

Altona Williamstown
Walkability score 0/100 32/100
Distance to Adelaide 70.7 km
+27% vs other
 51.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 61 min 59 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 5351
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 85
postcode 5351
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Altona Williamstown
Car (driver) 84.4% / 83.3%
Altona — Car (driver): 84.4% Williamstown — Car (driver): 83.3%
Worked from Home 15.6% / 10.3%
Altona — Worked from Home: 15.6% Williamstown — Worked from Home: 10.3%
Car (passenger) — / 4.0%
Altona — Car (passenger): not among its largest Williamstown — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Walked Only — / 1.3%
Altona — Walked Only: not among its largest Williamstown — Walked Only: 1.3%
Bus — / 1.1%
Altona — Bus: not among its largest Williamstown — Bus: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.4%).

Setting

Altona Williamstown
Elevation 283 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 292 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 38.3 km 33.7 km

NBN connectivity

Altona Williamstown
Connectivity score 83/100 57/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 63%
67 premises
 29%
1,216 premises

Climate

Altona Williamstown
Annual rainfall 460 mm 404 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 30.0°C
Winter min (Jul) — 6.6°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Altona Williamstown
PM2.5 5.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.31 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Altona Williamstown
Average residential rate $2,247/yr
same for both
Council Barossa
same for both

Federal electorate

Altona Williamstown
Division Barker
same for both
Member Tony Pasin
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Altona Williamstown
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Altona

Outer

Williamstown

Acreage Outer Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Altona

Altona vs Lyndoch Altona vs Rowland Flat Altona vs Pewsey Vale

Other comparisons with Williamstown

Williamstown vs Lyndoch Williamstown vs Kersbrook Williamstown vs Cockatoo Valley Williamstown vs Yattalunga Williamstown vs Mount Crawford Williamstown vs Pewsey Vale
Full data on Altona Full data on Williamstown
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or